


The Black Wolves

by GreenEyedFan



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi, Original Character(s), Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreenEyedFan/pseuds/GreenEyedFan
Summary: When Lorelei (aka Riley) is left with no other option but to join a crew, she is shoved out of her comfort zone. What will she have to do to prove to her new coworkers she's trustworthy? What will they have to do to convince her she's more than a tool? What will any of them do when they're faced with a threat they never expected?Or, I'm bad at summaries, so here's a story about a crime syndicate and their newest member.
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

“Riley! Goddamnit! What are you doing?” He shouted over the roar of the flames, clutching his shoulder where the bullet had ripped through.

“Bones, I’m sorry! This is something I have to do! I owe it to you and the crew!” she shouted back, inching closer to the ledge. Her grip on Sledge tightening. 

“No, Riley, stop! Mack doesn’t want this! None of us do! We can find another way, just come with me and we’ll work this out!”

“I got you guys into this mess and now I’m going to get you out!” 

Riley glanced behind her at the raging inferno below them, already at the edge of the platform where the railing had been destroyed by the tanker. She gave Bones one last look, pouring as much of an apology into it as she could. She drops the knife at Sledge's throat and puts one arm around his neck and the other grabbing the cuffs that connected his hands behind his back. 

“NO!” Bones yelled as Riley threw herself off of the ledge with Sledge in hand. 

Bones stood silent, watching the spot where Riley had stood as if she was going to reappear. A voice broke him out of his head, “Bones! Come on, we gotta go! She’s gone,” It was Quinn, “the whole building is gonna come down, we have to go NOW” 

Bones gave one last glance back to the ledge as if Riley would be standing there as he and Quinn raced out of the building. 

Outside, the crew stood bruised and bloody as they watched the tower burn, eventually crumbling into a pile of ash and fire illuminating the night sky.


	2. Chapter 1

Lorelei was getting ready for the first "job interview" she's had in years. Only, this isn't the typical job interview and she knew it. She didn’t want to work with these people, especially since she didn’t know them. However, bigger crews meant bigger jobs which meant bigger payouts. Ever since she got deep into this life, she'd always been a solo player. Never biting off more than she could chew, she had always done quite well for herself. Laying low was easy when you were by yourself, picking off the small hit jobs and small robberies in a city overrun with big-time crews. She existed as a speck of dust in the cloud that was Los Páramos, Arizona. 

But the city has changed since she started all this 5 years ago. Before, the police actually had control of the city, meaning no large crews ever ran the place. This made going at it alone a fairly lucrative job. Now though, crews run this city. The city she was born and raised in. She tried to leave once, but this wasn’t the kind of city that let people go. After trekking across 3 states for over a year, she decided to return home and she didn't want to leave again. So, when the jobs became less and less profitable and the danger of crews cracking down on the small criminals who caused disturbances on their turf grew, she had only a few choices. 

She could leave the city and go somewhere else, she could quit her life of crime (which really wasn’t an option at this point), or she could join a crew.

On one hand, joining a crew wasn’t a bad idea. She would make more money, have more protection and she didn’t have to hide from the local crime lord (as she would be working for him/her). On the other hand, she hated working with others. In this business, life and death scenarios were a constant and she didn’t trust other people with her life. Never. She was antisocial, to say the least. She hated interacting with strangers, and even those she had to interact with, didn't know the real her. 

She always had her heist get-up on when she wasn’t at home to avoid recognition. Bold clothing and makeup, hair pulled back in elaborate braids, and she never used her real name. Usually, she used the name Riley Mars. Simple, generic, and bland. Although, she sometimes liked to make up names on the spot to people like store clerks or delivery boys just for the fun of being a different person for a few moments, sometimes using accents. She may be antisocial, but she still knew how to amuse herself. 

A week ago, she went to Mack, the leader of the Black Wolves. The Black Wolves run the South side of the city, with rival crews to the North and vast deserts to the South, holding their territory was easy. Getting a meeting with Mack wasn’t too hard since he understood what she wanted, it was a very common request. She had gone to the penthouse, where the crew held their base of operations. Technically, it was a public building. In reality, only the crew and those affiliated with it went there. It was no secret what it was or what its walls hid. 

Apparently, Mack doesn’t handle recruitment on his own. When Lorelei introduced herself as Riley and explained her request to the secretary, the woman told her to leave her phone number and that Mack would be in touch. About a day later, Lorelei received a text on one of her burner phones. 

Riley,  
We've seen your work. Come to the tower, Saturday at Noon. Top floor.   
-Mack. 

Lorelei took the time to make sure her black braids were as elegant as possible. This was an important meeting and she wanted to make sure that she made a good impression. Even though she didn’t want this, she needed it. To help somewhat disguise herself, she always wore a ridiculous amount of makeup, at least in her opinion. She used a matte foundation that matched her porcelain skin, along with a plum colored lipstick and black, perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Her eyes had purple glitter eyeshadow that faded to black at the outer corners. She had her eyeliner whisked out like a cat's eye, with false lashes that topped off the look. She paused to admire herself in the mirror, she had to admit, she really did look beautiful. Truthfully, she hated that she needed to wear this much makeup every time she left the house for work. However, it helped keep her safe, so she sighed and moved along with getting ready. 

Her work outfit was pretty simple. She slipped on elastic black pants, a lavender tank-top and a black armored leather jacket. Happy with how she looked, she laced up her knee-high black combat boots and started the 10-block walk to the penthouse and her potential new life. 

~~~~~~~

When she reached the large building, at least 60 stories if she had to guess, she paused to look up at it. She took a moment to contemplate, just for a second, if this is what she really wanted to do. She rolled her shoulders and sighed as she moved towards the front door. When she entered the lobby she didn’t even bother stopping to speak with the receptionist, the eye contact they made was enough for the woman to nod her head in approval. She knew what Lorelei was there for.

When she stepped into the elevator she pulled out her phone, looking at the text Mack sent her with the floor number. She pressed the button and straightened her clothes and hair one last time. After 45 seconds or so, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Mack himself was there waiting for her, with a smirk on his face and the wave of his hand, he motioned for her to follow him. Lorelei fell in stride behind him, sensing she was about to meet the rest of the crew. 

Lorelei had never given any thought to what the penthouse would look like, but if she had, this wouldn’t have been it. The rest of the building looked business-like enough, but the penthouse looked like a bachelor pad. There was a kitchen immediately to the left of the elevator, one that any cook would kill for. To the right of the elevator, there was a beautiful living room. A black leather sectional with a matching loveseat and ottoman marked where the kitchen stopped and the living room began. A dark gray plush area rug complimented the décor and provided a break from the mahogany floors. Light gray walls really pulled everything together. What really caught Lorelei's eye was the enormous flat screen that was mounted on the wall. To accompany the tv, there was multiple game systems on the entertainment center and a bookshelf to the side with what had to be hundreds of games. She was curious about what went on here when they weren't out robbing banks and killing cops. 

Mack led Lorelei through a door at the far end of the room, directly across from the elevator, maybe 30 feet away. They entered into a wide hallway that wrapped around in an L-shape following the shape of the building. Here, there were rows of numbered doors on each side, it reminded her of a basic school or hospital. Mack led her all the way down to the end of the hallway and then turned left around the corner, after another 10 feet or so, he stopped and knocked twice on the door labeled "11" before entering. 

Entering the room was the most uncomfortable things she has ever had to do. When Mack stepped into the room, revealing the 5 sets of eyes staring at her, she immediately wanted to leave. However, Lorelei knew she had to stand strong, she couldn’t be intimidated by these people if she hoped to work with them. With her head held high, she scanned the room. It looked as if they had interrupted a headed exchange, based on the red faces and the tall man pacing at the back of the room. Every set of eyes looked her up and down, as if they were trying to read her intentions like they were written on her skin. 

At the head of the table closest to the door, there was a red-headed woman, looking to be somewhere in her mid-thirties looking defeated and stressed. She leaned back in her chair and ran her hand through her hair and let out a sigh, signaling how exhausted she was. She was also the first to speak, standing and introducing herself as Candy, second in command. From here Candy pointed to the rest of the group. First, the skinny dark-skinned fellow who had been tossing a tennis ball at the wall. Candy introduced him as Quinn, weapons master for the group. Next, she motioned towards the pale skinned man next to Quinn. However, he interrupted Candy to introduce himself. Proclaiming his name was Sticks with a touch of frustration behind his thick Jersey accent. Next, Candy introduced the bald guy sat across from Quinn and Sticks. She labeled him as Damion, the go-to guy on anything and everything about vehicles. Lastly, she introduced the tall guy who had been pacing in the back. Candy called the man who was now giving Lorelei a stare that chilled her to the core, as Bones. 

During the introductions Lorelei had noticed one thing: everyone seemed pissed. And she thought it was safe to assume it was because of her. 

After Candy finished speaking, Mack turned towards Lorelei, motioning for her to sit down. When she did, he turned towards the rest of the group, introducing her as Riley.

The room stayed quiet, no one dared break the silence. The saying, "You could cut the tension with a knife” had never been more applicable. It wasn't until Mack let out an irritated grunt that the crew members offered a weak hello. 

Minimally satisfied with the exchange, Mack took over the meeting. To the crew's surprise, Mack announced that Riley will be taking over as head of intelligence. At that, the crew burst out in disapproving remarks. With a raise of his hand, the group fell back into an uncomfortable silence. 

"As you all know, we've recently gained control of the Southwest corner of the city that was previously held by the now-defunct Red Ravens. This means we have another 100 square miles of territory to keep in check. Because of this, we need Candy to actually do her job as second in command. There is too much work for me to do alone, and this is what she signed up for. Since she will have a more business-focused role, we need a new intelligence specialist. Now, before you take her head off, let me tell you why Mrs. Mars here is so qualified for the job. She has extensive experience in tech, she grew up in the life, she's smarter than any of you fuck heads here and I'd like her to stop destroying the small businesses in our area." Mack explained, flashing Riley an annoyed look as he finished. 

"Mack, we can understand that she's qualified, but how are we supposed to trust an outsider with one of the most important jobs? She could easily lead us into traps and get us killed! How do you know she's not from another crew trying to take us out from the inside? Why couldn’t you get someone we already know? I'm sure we can bring up someone capable from the 300 plus members to the Alpha team, why bring in someone new?" Questioned Quinn. 

"To be honest, Quinn, we don’t have anyone as technologically advanced or as stealthy as Riley. I've seen her in action, and so has Candy. She's as good, if not better than all of us. And I think it would do us all good to bring in a bit of new blood; stir things up a bit. We're giving her a trial run. If things go well, she stays. If she fucks shit up, she's dead." Mack said bluntly, "Besides, Candy is the only chick here, it's beginning to become a sausage fest." he added with amusement.

Through the discussions, Riley kept a blank face, staring at a particularly deep cut in the large mahogany table. Nothing Mack said surprised her, not that it wasn’t alarming. She knew the risks of getting involved with a crew. Clearly, what Mack said slightly relaxed the crew, some sighed in defeat and others silently leaned back with frustrated looks and one remained the same. The sounds of their worn chairs and tired sighs pulled Riley from her stare, clearly, there was nothing else to be said on the matter of her position here.   
"By the way boys, since it's Saturday, you may as well give Riley the tour. Quinn and Sticks, you can show her to her room and the common areas, the armory, and give her a set of keys and explain them to her. Damion, you show her the garage. Candy will take time to talk about the day to day shit. Bones will show her the gym, MedBay, helipad, and basement then take her back to her room. I estimate ya'll will be done by dinner, which you’re on your own for tonight. You're dismissed." 

With that, Mack ended the meeting, only an hour had passed since Riley's arrival. Riley, Quinn, and Sticks stayed seated as the rest of the group shuffled out of the room, eager to get on with the day. Quinn was the first to rise, "Alrighty." He started, with a thick British accent, "Let's get a move on, shall we? Let's take her to the armory first, then we can take her to the lounge and the rooms." He finished with a motion towards Sticks. 

"Sounds good to me." Sticks replied, with a flourish that could only come from the East Coast. 

Riley followed the two taller men out of the room as they broke into a friendly conversation about who was to be the target of their next prank. She felt happy she was stuck with these two first, as they didn't seem to be as bothered by her presence as the others. They piled into the elevator and went down to the 58th floor, two below where they just were. The elevator doors opened up to a lobby the size of her living room. The room was nearly identical to what the inside of a gun shop looks like, save for the checkout counter and much scarier looking weapons strewn about. 

"Sticks can give you the rundown, I'm gonna go clear out a locker for you." Quinn stated, turning through a door to the left of the elevator. 

"Right. So, obviously, this is the armory," Sticks began, "this is where our guns and shit are stored, cleaned, fixed and tested. Except for the bigger ones, we have a special range for those down south. In this room, we have the general protection for a range in the drawers. The cases along the walls have the guns. The door Quinn went through is where our lockers are. That’s where we keep our personal weapons and other gear, think of it as like a locker room without the smell. Through the door behind me is the range. We can test pistols, rifles, some snipers, bows, and other smaller shit there. As I said, the big shit like grenades, our best snipers, explosives, and generally incredibly destructive stuff are tested off-site. We try not to destroy the tower, although, there have been a few incidents thanks to Quinn. He has a knack for the fun stuff and he's a dumbass so you can guess how that ends. Any questions so far?"

"No, all seems pretty straightforward. Guns, protection, locker room," Riley motions toward the areas, "range. Don’t be stupid. Got it." Riley repeats. 

"Cool you're not an idiot, I'll keep that in mind." He said sarcastically. 

Before Riley could decide whether or not to test her hypothesis of Sticks being okay with her being here, Quinn came back from the locker room. 

"Brilliant, he hasn't killed you!" Quinn exclaimed, amusement clear on his face, "Your locker is squared away, name tag and all. You'll use a key to open it, that way people can’t mess with your shit. We'll give you those later. Let’s head upstairs shall we?"

Floor 59 had to be Riley's favorite. The elevator opened up to a room that was nearly identical to the living space upstairs. However, this room was clearly where the crew spent the bulk of their free time. Snacks and controllers littered the coffee table and the sink had fresh dishes in it. The boys led her down the hall directly across from the elevator. The hall was a little different from the one upstairs. This hallway was much wider and didn’t wrap around in an "L" shape. Eight numbered doors ran down the walls, four on each side. 

"You'll be in room eight. Mack has one, Candy has two, I have three, Damion has four, Sticks has five and Bones has seven. We would give you six to even it out but we're doing you a favor putting you across from Bones instead of next to him. Trust me." Quinn warned.

"Hey, Bones isn't a bad neighbor to have! Once you persuade him not to kill you and stop throwing knives at the shared wall, that is." Sticks chimed in, "Really though, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine!" 

Riley let out a scoff, "So, what of these keys I keep hearing about?"

"Oh! Right! Here," Sticks hands Riley two small black discs, about the size of a half dollar. "these are the keys for the entire building, unique to each member. Just tap it against the sensor and you're good to go. The keys are identical, keep one on you and keep the other one safe or give it to someone else in the group. Currently, you'll have access to the general areas like your room, the garage, the armory and so on. If things go well, you'll get full access like the rest of us. When we aren’t working, hang where ever you like. You can do whatever you want to your room, though try to keep it reasonable. You are required to live here, mainly cause its way safer and cheaper, not that we would ever have an issue paying rent." 

Quinn picks up where Sticks left off as they head back out to the living room, "So, some general house rules to keep things peaceful. One: All food and drinks are fair game unless there’s a note. Any tampering with notes is a $500 fine, paid to whoever you fucked with. We have security cams in the fridge and cupboards; due to past incidents. Two: You do your own laundry, no exceptions. Lastly: one pet per person, we aren't having a repeat of last year." He explained as he settled onto the couch with Sticks, firing up a game. 

"Got it." Riley replied, "Guard my food, do my laundry, one pet." 

"Ya got it, love, everything else is pretty much common sense or learn as you go. It's not exactly rocket science to have roommates. Damion is probably down in the garage so you can head down, unless you have any questions." Quinn said, more as a question.  
"No, seems pretty self-explanatory. Where's the garage?" Asked Riley. 

“Sub-level 1, the button is marked "G" in the elevator. Grab Damion a beer from the fridge before you go. He's a hardass, but it won't hurt to try and buy his love." Replied Sticks. 

Beer in hand, Riley boarded the elevator and began the slow descent to the garage, playful shouting echoed from where she left Sticks and Quinn. Riley seized the few moments she had alone in the elevator to go over what she'd learned about life in a crew. It seems so different from what she's used to. Riley grew up alone, fending for herself with no help, from birth until a few hours ago. Here, on the other hand, everyone seems so comfortable around each other. Sticks and Quinn acted as if they were brothers, and they certainly weren’t biologically related. The ding of the elevator pulled Riley out of her head. She pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind as she stepped out of the elevator. 

The space she stepped into took her breath away. The room was easily ten times the size of the upper floors she just came from. At least 40 beautiful cars of all sizes and purposes littered the room. Riley started to weave her way in-between the cars, admiring every one she passed. Vehicles had always been one of her hidden interests. A loud metallic bang followed by some colorful language pulled Riley out of her amazement. She traced the sounds to the back corner of the garage, where Damion seemed to be struggling underneath of a navy-blue AFV. 

“Uh... Do you need some help?” Riley asked. 

Another bang and some more creative phrases were the only response she got.

“Damn it, don’t sneak up on me while I’m working!” Damion exclaimed, rubbing a red spot on his head as he stood up. 

“I didn’t sneak up on you, you just weren’t paying attention to your surroundings.” Riley retorted, stifling a chuckle.

“Oh, I see the new girl has sass. Very funny.” He said.

“Here, a peace offering.” Riley said as she handed Damion the beer she brought down. 

Damion tentatively took the beer from Riley and said with a conflicted tone “You’re trying to buy my acceptance.” 

“Did it work?” asked Riley

“Yet to be determined.” He replied curtly after taking a swig of his drink. 

“So,” Riley began, changing the subject, “this is the garage huh? I dig it.”

“Yeah, Welcome to the home of our land vehicles, the smaller ones anyway. Our planes are kept down in the desert and we have a few boats but seeing as the river dried up, they’re mostly for show now. Everyone has their own vehicles, with a few exceptions. Since we have so many cars and some of us have the same car with different customizations, each person’s cars are a set color. Mack’s are the navy-blue ones, like this one here. Candy’s are red, Bones’ are black and blue, mine are silver, Sticks’ are gold, and Quinn’s are purple. If we decide to keep you around you’ll get to pick a color as well. I am also the resident mechanic, so any customization or repair requests come directly to me. Any questions?” he explained.

“Where will I be able to put my car? She’s precious to me and I don’t want anybody to fuck her up.” Riley asked.

“You into cars?” Damion asked, “What do you drive?”

“’67 Impala. Strictly a personal vehicle, if she gets so much as a scratch I will disembowel whoever lays a hand on her.” Warned Riley. 

“Damn girl! You’ve got good taste! I’ve got a ‘57 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. It’s amazing to take her through the mountains down south!” Damion bragged.

The next 45 minutes consisted of Damion showing Riley the cars in the garage, photos of the crews' off-site vehicles, and discussing cars they would love to get their hands on. It seemed the once-disgruntled brute of a man who hated her guts had just become her closest friend. Through their lengthy conversation, one thing had stood out to her. Much like what she observed earlier in the day, Damion seemed just as close with the rest of the crew as Sticks and Quinn. Riley found herself lost in thought as Damion rambled on about a new armored bus he had his eye on. She couldn’t quite understand why or how they had developed such close relationships. Was it because they knew each other before they became criminals? Are they just putting on a show because she’s there? Or were they really like a family? She really didn’t understand the dynamic. At any moment something could go wrong and they could turn on each other. Are they stupid enough to trust other people with their lives? That’s breaking the first rule of this life. Trust no one. What really got to Riley was that Damion seemed to genuinely love his “job” and his life. This confused her because she has never loved living a life like this. Always running, lying, and fighting with her morality. She didn’t even choose this for herself, shitty circumstance and bad luck landed her where she is. Sure, she could stop and get a real job, but she was too far in. By 16 she was wanted by the government. Even though three-quarters of the city is in the same boat, if she quit, it meant prison. 

Riley and Damion both jumped when someone cleared their throat behind them. 

“Come on Riley, enough playtime with Damion, it’s time for lunch!” Candy exclaimed rather excitedly. 

“Aw come on Candy! She’s into cars like me! I finally have someone who understands my love!” Damion whined.

“Y’all can chat another time. It’s my turn to spend some time with our new girl!” Candy replied. 

“Ugh, fine…” Damion said with a disappointed sigh. 

The elevator ride back up to the 59th floor was quiet, except for Candy rattling off all of her favorite areas in the tower. 

When they arrived back upstairs, the two girls sat down for a quiet lunch. Candy had made generic BLT sandwiches which were laid out on the breakfast bar. Riley sat at the bar on a tall stool that was surprisingly comfortable. 

“What do you want to drink?” Candy asked as she strolled over to the refrigerator, “We have beer, liquor, diet coke, regular coke, and various juices.”

“I’ll have what you’re having” Riley replied, “as long as it’s not diet coke.” 

“Coke it is. Don’t worry, I hate diet coke.” Candy said with a chuckle, “Only the guys really drink it, I prefer normal soda.”

The next half hour was mostly silent as they ate their lunch, Riley hadn’t realized just how hungry she was. 

After they finished, Riley helped Candy load the dishes in the dishwasher, along with the dishes the guys had left in the sink. 

“So,” Riley started, “is this was things are normally like around here?” 

“It really depends,” Candy replied, “when we’re working on a job it gets a little hectic around here. We’re in-between jobs right now so things are a lot more relaxed. When we have down time, it’s pretty cool. We play video games, upgrade and repair our vehicles, shop, work out, redecorate, cook, or really anything we want that isn’t dangerous. It gets surprisingly domestic around here.” She finished with a soft laugh. 

“How often are jobs?” Riley questioned.

“That also depends. Sometimes we go from job to job with no break, and sometimes we go a month or two without a job. It really depends on what needs to be done around tone, if the other crews start acting up, or if we see something beneficial. I’m sure you know this, but we are essentially the cities police. If someone comes to us with a problem, we usually let Beta team handle it. Although, if it’s something more serious we’ll send one of us out to take care of it. Thats really the only time you might work a solo job.” Candy explained as they finished up the dishes. 

“So,” Candy continued as they moved to the couch to sit and talk, “how are you liking everything so far? I trust the boys have been treating you well enough. It seems Damion at least likes you.”

“Um, it’s going well enough so far.” Riley started, “I’m just as apprehensive about this situation as the others, but I have to go where the money is, I’m sure you know that. I love the penthouse. The guys are cool so far, Sticks and Quinn aren’t bad. I think Damion and I will get along fine since we both love cars and shit. I’m not really sure about Mack, he’s hard to read, and I’m pretty sure Bones wants to kill me, so thats something.” She finished with a sarcastic laugh. 

“Yeah about Bones, don't let him intimidate you. He is one of the more violent in the group, but he’s a good crew member. He has a temper, and is usually rough on the job. Other than that, he’s usually pretty tame. I don’t think he’s very happy that we’re adding a new member on such short notice. He’s just…complicated. Just give it time, he’ll open up eventually.” Candy explained. 

“Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.” Riley said as she glanced down at her watch, “Well, speak of the devil. I gotta go meet Bones, Mack said I should meet him at the gym, where is that at?” She asked. 

“He’s probably in our personal gym, it’s sub-level two. It’s marked ‘G2’ in the elevator. You’ll need your key to get to that level, did they remember to give them to you?” Candy answered. 

“Yeah, I got ‘em.” Riley responded as she pulled them out on the way to the elevator, “Thanks Candy.” 

Once again, the sanctity of the elevator offered Riley a moment to digest the new information. Every second she spent in the tower she had more questions. Not about the crew or the job, these things she understood. What she didn’t understand was the dynamic between the crew. The confusion grew after chatting with Candy during lunch. 

Riley stepped out of the elevator into a room that was just as big as the garage above. The entire room was filled with exercise equipment; weights, treadmills, all kinds of different machines, and punching bags. That’s where she spotted Bones, taking an unseen amount of anger out on the bag. She almost didn’t want to interrupt him, but with Candy’s advice in mind, she made her way over to him. 

“Hey,” Riley started, “sorry to interrupt but Mack wanted you to show me around, remember?” 

He ignored her, continuing his assault on the bag. Riley decided it would be best to wait until he decided to stop. 

After a few minutes, he seemed to finish his routine. “Okay,” He began, “I see I have no alternative. This is the gym, obviously. Back through those doors there are the showers. No questions? Okay good. Give me a sec and we’ll go downstairs.” He finished, clearly annoyed. Luckily she didn’t have any questions, because he didn’t actually give her any time to ask one. 

She waited by the elevator as he put on a sweatshirt over his t-shirt and wiped down the equipment he had used. They both remained silent as they boarded the elevator. She didn’t want to say or do anything that would make him more pissed than he already is. He pressed the button labeled “G3”, the only other floor below it was marked with an “S”. They arrived on another floor similar to the gym and garage. The only difference was that this floor looked like a genuine emergency room. 

“This is the medical area. If you get hurt, you come here. No matter what, got it?” He asked, more as a demand than a question. 

With a nod of approval from Riley, he continued, “What else did Mack want me to show you?”

“The helipad and basement.” Riley replied. 

“Hm”, he contemplated for a minute or two before saying anything, “You ever seen a helipad?”

“Uh, yeah.” Riley replied, slightly confused.

“Good. Then that takes care of that. We done here?” 

“What about the basement?” 

“I don’t feel like it.” He said bluntly.

“Oh… Okay then. I’ll uh… Just go meet Mack…” Riley said, now feeling a little awkward. 

The rest of the evening went by fairly quickly. Bones had stayed silent on the way back up to the lounge. Riley stayed on the elevator so she could go back to the meeting room to talk to Mack. However, they didn’t really talk much. He asked her how the day went and then told her she could go back home, start to pack, and let all the information sink in. He said that they could talk the next day, since their discussion would be more about work than life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she got back home, she collapsed on her bed. Exhaustion from the day eating at her bones. She decided against a shower and simply washed off her makeup before getting dressed for bed. She set her alarm for 5:00 am so she could pack her essentials before she went in at 8:00. Questions from the day kept her mind awake even though her body wanted to sleep. Something felt weird about this crew, they acted like a family, yet they have an ass like Bones with them. She started to drift off to sleep as she thought about each member and their relationship with the rest of the group. Finally, she fell asleep, feeling tired, curious, and a little bit excited to unravel the mystery that is the Black Wolves.


End file.
